October 2009 Archives
All this brouhaha over Baby Einstein may anger some parents. Some may throw out all their baby DVDs and LeapFrogs. I say something a wise friend told me when my firstborn was days old: "Follow your instinct."
The people at the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood claimed victory in their campaign against Baby Einstein (a Disney company) because Baby Einstein (to avoid a class action lawsuit, I presume) released a statement announcing it was going to begin issuing refunds for its Baby Einstein videos. Buyers of the DVDs can return them to Disney for $15.99 or exchange them for other products.
Nowhere did they admit, though, that the DVDs have no value.
Young Patrick:
You're my best girl and nothing you do is wrong,
I'm proud you belong to me;
And if a day is rough for me,
Having you there's enough for me.
And if someday another girl comes along,
It won't take her long to see,
That I'll still be found, just hanging around
My best girl.
Mame:
You're my best beau, you're handsome and brave and strong,
There's nothing we two can't face;
If you're with me, whatever comes,
We'll see that trouble never comes.
And if someday another beau comes along
Determined to take your place,
I hope he's resigned to falling behind,
My best beau.
Mame And young Patrick:
And if someday when everything turns out wrong,
You're through with the human race,
Come running to me,
Mame:
For I'll always be
Your best girl...
Young Patrick:
My best girl!
She smiled.
Not at me,
but she smiled, a quick, sweet upturn of her mouth, bow-shaped little lips
slightly open, lifting her chubby cheeks every so slightly, streaked with milky drool.
Baby No. 3 is only six weeks old, but I swear she smiled at her Papa 21 days after her birth day. She had just been fed (by me) and changed (by me), when I handed her over to Hubby so I could wash my hands. Hubby had just launched into his patented up-down-bouncy-dance-of-sleep when I looked over and saw it.
She was looking up at him adoringly with her wide, almond-shaped eyes as he spoke in singsong to her. Then she smiled, the look filling her face, her two hands clasped under her chin.
Hubby and I saw it. And though I didn't run to get the baby book so I could document the milestone like I did with Firstborn Son, we remember. (Hubby reminds me both boys smiled at him first, too.)
Now Baby smiles with increasing regularity (but never slow enough so I can catch it with the camera.) She does it most after a feeding, when she's just drifting off to sleep. She'll turn her head to one side, eyes drooping, eyes fluttering open, then closing again, then opening one more time before she sinks slowly into sleep, usually with one hand curled ladylike beside her cheek.
The smile comes soon after that, like a door's been opened in her sleep and she's happy to enter it. Who's greeting her at the threshold? I always wonder. Sometimes, the smile is followed by a golden giggle, a sound so sweet I want to play it over and over should I ever get the chance to record it. What's so funny? Could I get in on the secret?
You can read all about baby smiles during these earliest days being nothing more than an inborn behavior, just a reflex, or (you've heard this one before), "just gas." We're told babies don't really smile at you until they're at least two months old, if then.
Never mind all that.
